Can-cooking apparatus.



No. 802,254. PATBNTED OCT. 17, 1905.

J. & N. G. BAKER.

CAN 000mm APPARATUS.

APPLICATION 19,];LED JAN, 30, 1905.

3SHEETSSHEET 3.

S m w WITNESSES; N N N Q 9 Z f z gnofs JOHN BAKER AND NORMAN (1. BAKER,HOOPESTON, ILLINOIS.

CAN-COOKING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed January 30, 1905. Serial No. 243,320.

To (LN/ Lu/1,0111, it rim/y cmwcr'lt:

Be it known that we, Jomv BAKER and NORMAN G. BAKER, of Hoopeston,Vermilion county, Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Can-Cooking Apparatus; and we hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of thisspecification.

This invention is an improved apparatus for cooking and sterilizingvegetables, fruits, and other canned or bottled products,and isespecially designed for use in the so-called continuous-process canningwherein green or uncooked canned goods are fed into the apparatus at onepoint and cooked cans are delivered therefrom at another, the cans beingcooked by hot water or steam during their passage through the apparatus.

By "cans herein we mean any kind of vessels containing perishablevegetables, fruits, meats, 85c.

The object of the present invention is to produce a simple economicalapparatus of large capacity wherein the cans are kept in continualmotion and. jarred at intervals, so that their contents are thoroughlyagitated, insuring thorough and uniform cooking thereof, and wherein theintroduction and emission of the cans will be attended with the leastamount of waste of hot water or steam; and the invention consists in thenovel construction of the complete apparatus and of parts andcombination of parts therein, as hereinafter claimed, and more fullydescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustratethe preferred form of the apparatus, but not to scale, the dimensionsthereof being varied according to the desired capacity of the cooker. 4

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, ofthe complete apparatus, showing the gears B C and chains h in elevation,said gears and chain being outside of the tank A, as shown in Fig. 2.Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is across-section on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional. view ofthe casing G and its cylinder. Fig. 5 is a side view of the casing G,and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the track-irons provlded withprojections for jarring the cans.

The apparatus comprises a tank A, which is preferably rectangular incross-section and capable of withstanding considerable steampressure. Itmay be made of sheet-metal plates, riveted together and strengthened byexternal angle-irons A and closed at the ends by metal heads A It shouldbe provided with a thermometer A", pressure-gage A, and relief-valve Itis also preferably provided with glass-covered sight-openings A at eachend, so that the contents of the tank can be seen. l/Vithin the tank,near the opposite ends thereof, are transverse shafts B C, the formerbeing arranged above the level. of the latter, and on these shafts aresprocket-wheels B C, over which run endless sprocket-chains D, which areconnected at intervals by transverse bars D, adapted to serve ascan-Pushers. Extend ing between the shafts B C and in a plane just belowthe upper run of the chains D is a canway formed bylongitudinally-arranged track-irons E, supported upon transverse bars E,fastened to the side walls of the tank. The canway inclines downwardlyfrom shaft B to shaft C, so that cans placed thereon will tend to rolldown by gravity; but positive movement of the cans is assured by thepusher-bars D. T lie canways are provided at intervals with projectionsE which may be formed of metal pieces attached to the irons E or inother convenient manner, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 6, the object ofthese projections being to jar the cans moving thereover so that thecontents of the cans will be more thoroughly agitated than their slidingor rolling movements along the canway would effect. Arranged above andextending along the oanway are retainer strips or bars a, supported bytransverse bars e and adapted to keep the cans down on the tracks andprevent their riding over each other when pushed along the tracks. Belowthe lower run of the chains D supporting-bars D may be laced to supportthe pusher-bars D on the ower run of the chains, and thus lessen the sagof the chain and the strain. on the shafts B C.

The tank may be supplied with hot water or steam, or both, through aperforated pipe F, arranged longitudinally in the lower part thereof andconnected with a supply-pipe F, leading to a boiler or other supply andprovided with a controlling-valve F One end normal water-level in thetank, while the of each shaft B O projects outside the tank opening g atthe outfeed end is below the through a suitable stuffing-box. On theprowater-level. j

jecting end of shaft B is loosely mounted a To prevent waste of steam atthe inlet and 5 worm-gear I), provided with a clutch-face b, outlets ofthe tank, pipes I I may be tapped adapted to be engaged by aclutch-block b i into the casing G at proper points between slidablykeyed to shaft B and operated by a j the openings g 9 pipes I connectingwith a shiftingdever I), by which means the gear header I, from whichpipe I conducts the can be locked to the shaft at will. Gear 7) wastewater and steam into areceiver I ,from

1o meshes with a worm a on a shaft a, jourwhence it can be pumped backinto the tank naled in a bracket a attached to the casing or to theboiler, if desired. In this way loss and provided with a cone-pulley awhich of water and steam and annoying collection can be belted to anysuitable driver. (Not of steam in the cooking-room is prevented. shown.)By this means the desired slow The space between the inlet-opening inthe I 5 movement can be imparted to shaft B and tank and the top of thecanway is bridged by to chains D, which transmit motion from a chute K,and the space between the lower shaft B to shaft O. end of the canway.and outlet-opening is The cans are fed into the tank at the end bridgedby av chute it, so that the cans will adjacent shaft B and deliveredtherefrom at pass onto and from the canway properly.

20 the other end by similar devices, which are Operation: The tank beingfilled with hot constructed alike, and therefore the explana water orsteam, or both, and shaft a driven tion of one will describe both. Eachdevice from any suitable power, and a supply of uncomprises acylindrical casing G, which may cooked cans being ready, the operatorthrows be open at both ends and is preferably clutch into engagementwith gear I), start- 2 5 slightly conical interiorly. This casing hasing the can-pushers and shafts B C. Then an opening g at one sidesurrounded by rathe infeed-cylinder is started by throwing 9odially-projecting flanges G, and it has anclutch-block k into engagementwith other opening g in its side about one hunsprocket h, and the cansare fed into the dred and twenty degrees removed from opengrooves of,the feed-cylinder through open- 0 ing 9, at the sides of which areflanges G b ing 5 by hand or machinery, and they should which the casingmay be secured to the head be fed fast enough to fillthe grooves and supof the tank, so that the opening 9 coincides ply a row across the canwayeach time a with a like slot or opening in the end of the channel in thecylinder registers with the tank to permit cans to pass from the casingopeningv into the tank. lVhen this occurs,

3 5 into the tank, or vice Versa. Fitted within the cans iiithe cylinderroll into the tank by the casing is a long cylinder H, preferablygravity and pass onto the upper end of the slightly tapered eXteriorlyand provided canway. The. apparatus should be so timed with a number oflongitudinal recessesH", that during their passage from the inlet to(three being shown) adapted to successively the outlet along the canwaythe goods in the 40 register with openings g g to receive and decan willbe vproperly cooked or sterilized.

liver cans. The cylinder has a shaft H jour When the first cans near theoutlet, the de- I05 naled in brackets H attached to the adj'a- 4livery-cylinder is put in operation, and the cent end of the tank, andthe cylinder may be cans passing off the canway enter the chanadjustedso as to fit closely in the casing by nels of thefdelivery-cylinder andare passed 5 means .of a spider or head H strung on out thereby. Whenproperly operating, a shaft H at the small end of the cylinder and rowof cans is delivered for every row of cans I10 5 bearing against thesmall end of the casing, "fed in. When all the cans are fed in, the

and a nut H screwed on a threaded portion" feed-cylinder is stopped; butthe delivering of the shaft and bearing against said spider. continuesuntil the tank is emptied. By

50 The cylinder is rotated when desired by making the infeed anddelivery cylinder in means of a sprocket-gear loosely mountedondependently regulable, we avoid the waste 11 5 shaft H and driven bychain it from a which results .when. these have to be run sprocket B orO on the projecting end of the empty. As thecans pass along the canwayadjacent shaft B or O. Sprocket it has a they are'ja'rred by theobstructions or pro.

55 clutch-face 7L2, adapted to be engaged by a jections thereonfso thatthey are wellshaken,

clutch-block 7w, splined on shaft H and 0p which facilitates (andinsures thorough and erated by a shifting-lever it, so that the cylequalcooking of, their contents. inder can be rotated or stopped at the willof Having thus described our invention,what the operator withoutstopping the other i we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 6oparts of the apparatu At the infeed end of ters Patent is the machinethe casing G is arranged with 1 In a can cooking apparatus, the combir25 opening g uppermost and at the outfeed end nationof aftank, a rotaryinfeed-cylinder at with the opening 9 lowermost. The tops of one endthereof, a rotary delivery-cylinder flanges G at the infeed end will beabove the at the other end thereof; an inclined canway within the tank,intermediate the feed and delivery openings, endless chains within thetank, can-pushers on said chains, adapted to move the cans along saidcanway, and projections or can-jarring devices along the can way.

In a can-cooking apparatus, the combination of a closed tank having aninlet at one end and an outlet at the other, a rotatable feed-cylinderat the inlet of the tank, and a rotatable delivery-cylinder at itsoutlet; an inclined canway within the tank between the inlet and outlet,means for jarring the cans at intervals on said canway, endless chains,pushers, attached to said chains adapted to move cans along said canway,shafts and sprockets for driving said chains, and means whereby theadjacent cylinders are driven from said shafts.

3. In a can-cooking apparatus, the combination of a tank having an inletat one end and an outlet at the other, a rotatable feedcylinder at theinlet of the tank, and a rotatable delivery-cylinder at its outlet; acan way within the tank between the inlet and outlet, endless chains,pushers attached to the chains adapted to move cans along said canway,shafts and sprockets for driving said chains, and means whereby eitheror both of the cylinders can be thrown into or out of operation.

4.. In. combination a tank having an inlet and an outlet at oppositeends of the canway, a canway within the tank for conducting cans fromthe inlet to the outlet, shafts within the tank at each end of thecanway, sprockets on said shafts, endless chains running over saidsprockets, can -pushers carried by said chains, and means for drivingsaid shafts; with a feed-cylind er at the inlet of the tank, adelivery-cylinder at the outlet thereof, and means for driving saidcylinders respectively from the adjacent shaft in the tank.

5. In a can-cooking apparatus, the combination of a tank having an inletat one end and an outlet at the other, an inclined canway within thetank for conducting cans from the inlet to the outlet, shafts Within thetank at each end of the canway, sprockets on said shafts, endless chainsrunning over said sprockets, can pushers attached to said chains, andmeans for driving said shafts; with a feed-cylinder at the inlet of thetank, a delivery-cylinder at the outlet thereof, means for driving saidcylinders respectively from the adjacent shaft in the tank, and clutchdevices whereby either or both cylinders can be thrown in or out ofoperation at will.

6. For a cooking apparatus, a feed or delivery device comprising acasing provided with longitudinal inlet and outlet openings in its side;a cylinder in said casing having a plurality of longitudinal channelsadapted to successively register with the inlet andv outlet openings inthe casing, means for rotating said cylinder, and a clutch for steppingor starting the cylinder without stopping the driving means.

7. In a can-cooking apparatus, the combination of a tank, a feed ordelivery device connected therewith, comprising a casing having inletand outlet openings, and a rotatable cylinder in said casing havinglongitudinal pockets or channels adapted to successively register withthe openings in the casing with means for exhausting the water or steamfrom such pockets between the openings in the casing.

8. In a can-cooking apparatus, the combination of a closed tank, meansfor introducing hot water or steam thercinto, an inlet at one end and anoutlet at the other, an inclined canway composed of strap-iron leadingfrom the inlet to the outlet; transverse shafts in the tank at oppositeends of the canway, sprockets on said shafts, chains running over saidsprockets, can-pushers attached to said chains, can-retainers arrangedalong parallel with and above the canway, and pusher-supports arrangedbelow the canway.

9. In a can-cooking apparatus, the combination of a closed tank, meansfor introducing hot water or steam thereinto, an inlet at one end and anoutlet at the other, an inclined canway composed of strap-iron leadingfrom the inlet to the outlet, projections on the canway to jar the cans,transverseshafts in the casing at opposite ends of the canway, sprocketson said shafts, chains running over said sprockets, can-pushers attachedto said chains, can-retainers arranged along and above the canway, andpusher-supports arranged below the pathway.

10. In a can-cooking apparatus, the combination of a tank, having aninlet at one end and an outlet at the other, a canway within the tankleading from the inlet to the outlet, shafts at each end of the canway,sprockets on said shafts, endless chains passing around said sprockets,can-pushers carried by said chains, and means for driving said shafts;with a rotatable feed-cylinder at the inlet of the tank to feed cansthereinto; a similar cylinder at the outlet of the tank to deliver canstherefrom and means for driving the said cylinders respectively from theadj acent shafts in the tank.

11. In a can-cooking apparatus, the combination of a tank, having aninlet at one end and an outlet at the other, a canway within the tankleading from the inlet to the outlet, and shafts at each end of thecanway, sprockets on said shafts, endless chains passing around saidsprockets, ean-pushers carried by said chains, and means for drivingsaid shafts with a longitudinally-recessed rota- ITO table cylinder atthe inlet of the tank to feed In testimony that we claimthe foregoing 10cans thereinto; a similar cylinder at the outas our own we aflix oursignatures in preslet of the tank to deliver cans therefrom; ence of twowitnesses.

means for drivin the said cylinders respectively from the adjacentshafts in the tank AKER and clutch devices whereby either or bothcylinders may be thrown out of operation at In presence 0fwill, andmeans for returning any water with- D. E. WRIGHT. drawn by the cylindersback to the tank. l N. V. AXTELL.

